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Gov gets Bicycling’s Wheel Sucker award
I wonder if Gov. Perry reads Bicycling magazine. And if he does, I wonder how he feels about his designation, on page 27 of the October issue, as a “Wheel Sucker” for vetoing a bill that would have made it illegal to pass within 3 feet of vulnerable road users in Texas.
“Yet one more ‘bragging right’ that we’re not so proud of here in Texas,” says Leslie Luciano, community relations manager for Bicycle Sport Shop. She stirred the fire after Perry’s veto, Tweeting and vocalizing her disgust with his move and rounding up for support for a similar city-wide 3-foot rule, which was met with approval by the Austin City Council last month. We like Luciano’s spirit!
Here’s the text of the blurb in Bicycling:
“Despite being a cyclist, Texas governor Rick Perry vetoed a bill that would have required cars to give cyclists, pedestrians, equestrians, farm-equipment operators, stranded motorists, motorcyclists, highway workers and tow-truck drivers 3 feet of room when passing. ‘While I am in favor of measures that make our roads safer for everyone,’ he said, ‘this bill … places the liability and responsibility on the operator of a motor vehicle when encountering one of these vulnerable road users.’ If you’d like to tell Perry where he can stick his veto, visit biketexas.org.”
That photo above, by the way? Taken after Perry broke his collarbone — while riding his bike.
Thoughts, anyone?
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By Bull
September 9, 2009 1:01 PM | Link to this
There was a great amount of vitriol spilled on a bunch of bike related blogs when he vetoed the bill. Lots of folks are looking to KBH or the Democratic opposition, anyone who isn’t affiliated with Gov. Goodhair.
By CO2creator
September 9, 2009 3:03 PM | Link to this
As a cyclist who rides the roads for many hours per week around Austin I really don’t care about how close cars & trucks pass me. I only care if they hit me. Enforcing the existing laws for safe passing and causing an accident should be sufficient.
Other states have passed similar 3ft legislation my amending existing laws. Seems much easier if that is important. 3ft seems kind of arbitrary anyway. If 3ft is good then why not 4ft? Would 2ft be okay as compromise?
In the same issue of Bicycling I believe it mentions that other states have pro cycling laws that allow cyclists to treat stop signs as yields and red lights as stop signs if there is no traffic in or approaching the intersection. Now those would be changes that would improve cycling!
By Wes Robinson
September 9, 2009 10:10 PM | Link to this
Thoughts? I like Luciano’s spirit too.
By Doohickie
September 9, 2009 10:19 PM | Link to this
Thoughts?
I doubt the proposed law would have made much of an impact on me personally. It may have encouraged more cycling, but then again, maybe not. I don’t like Rick Perry, but his vetoing of a bicycle advocacy bill is the least of the reasons.
By Bull
September 10, 2009 4:12 PM | Link to this
See, that’s the point though. If you tell drivers to stay 3 feet away from you, do you think they are more likely to hit you or less likely? And then there’s also the easy excuse that cagers sometimes give for hitting a cyclist “But he weaved over right in front of me.” Well, if you’re 3 feet over, the cyclist has room to weave. And you have room to react.
Existing safe passing laws are vague. This gives law enforcement some specific guidelines to enforce. Gov. Goodhair was just plain wrong. All day wrong.
By Steve A
September 13, 2009 1:44 PM | Link to this
Bicycling Magazine, now THERE is an authoritative source about cycling in Texas. Aren’t these the same guys that gave some actor a “wheel sucker” award for riding without a helmet a while back?
Sheesh. And they wonder why I didn’t renew my subscription…